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Product Description

Opera Callas is the result of a reimagination of the manufacturer's longstanding loudspeakers in early 2014; a new flagship speaker that far surpasses anything that came before it.

Design

The design brief was to create a speaker that delivered a three-dimensional sound stage which was focused, stable and had the correct timbre, dynamic and detail; without any fatiguing elements. Through an exhaustive R&D process, the experienced design team delivered on all fronts with this compact two-way stand-mount speaker design. The new Callas is both an object of affection and something that integrates discreetly into any environment.

Build

Made from MDF and veneered curved plywood, the cabinet is thick enough (25mm on the sides and 50mm on the front panel) to absorb resonances and shaped with a non-parallel footprint to reduce internal reflections. The use of additional internal damping - including two layers (20cm total thickness) of pyramidal polyurethane foam - in sensible quantities helps keep the cabinet non-resonant while still allowing the speaker drivers to deliver their full sound.

Drivers

The Callas' impressive bass-response is delivered via the 7" long-throw woofer from SEAS, with and annealed polypropylene diaphragm. The woofer is from SEAS' flagship 'Excel' range and is reflex-loaded with a rear duct. Due to the broad range this woofer can potentially delivery (up to 5kHz), the woofer is capable of delivering a perfectly natural overlap with the tweeter at the 2kHz crossover point. The 9700 tweeter from Scanspeak used within the Callas is one of the finest tweeters available. And not only does it sound phenomenal, but it is also incredibly reliable - offering a long life expectancy.

Crossover

The crossover employed in the Callas uses premium components, including Mundorf capacitors and MOX resistors. The 2,000Hz cross-over frequency is only possible because the 9700 tweeter can deliver such a broad frequency response and offers such a wide linear displacement. The crossover has a low-pass section of the second order for the woofer and a high-pass section of the second order for the tweeter.

Soundstage

The Callas is equipped with a switch that allows you to adjust the output of the vocal range (+2dB between 300-3000Hz). This greatly increases the flexibility of the diffuser and also suits the speaker to a greater number of environmental situations. The new Callas produces a sound stage that expands in three dimensions with an excellent impulse response and power, dynamics and extension at low frequencies typical of systems of much higher dimensions. This speaker is also suitable for "near field" listening (up to one meter to the listening point) without any loss of clarity or quality.

Key Features

- High-quality stand-mount speaker- Premium drivers from SEAS and Scanspeak- SEAS woofer has polypropylene re-cooked cone and phase plug- Scanspeak tweeter is without ferrofluid and double decompression chamber- Extensive R&D employed to make a big sound from a small cabinet- Sensitivity is similar to that offered by floorstanding speaker- Non-parallel structure and internal damping for reduced resonance and interference- MDF and veneered curved plywood body

'A closer look at the Callas reveals a fresh design and an extremely capable but fussy mid/bass driver. The Seas-sourced mid/bass unit is part of the OEM supplier's high-end Excel range. The problem with any driver with such a rigid cone is that you get a bell-like resonance at higher frequencies. The hard bit for designers is stopping this from being audible without sacrificing quality and, in our experience, Opera is one of the few manufacturers to manage this trick.' (What Hi-Fi Magazine December 2008)

'The rest of the speaker is almost as impressive: the Callas has a very smart cabinet and a rather classy leather-covered front baffle.' (What Hi-Fi Magazine December 2008)

'First off we'd say they are easily the best Opera speakers we've ever heard. In the past, efforts from Opera have been likeable but perhaps didn't have innate drama when music required. These are taut and mean, delivering astonishing insight and bite.' (What Hi-Fi Magazine December 2008)

'The Callas also stands out for having a terrific stereo image. The three rear-firing tweeters add spaciousness and body to the stereo sound stage that makes conventional alternatives sound two-dimensional in comparison. Add all the Callas's more conventional strengths into the equation and you'll understand why we like them so much.' (What Hi-Fi Magazine December 2008)